Avengers Movie Primer: The Incredible Hulk

Are you ready for The Avengers on May 4th? We are, but you might need some help (And if you do, you might need some serious help).

We're going to tackle each movie leading up to the Avengers, and to start off, we're going to take a look at the Hulk.

Now if you want to be technical, and I know many people are, you're going to have to start with "The Hulk", a movie that came out way back in 2003. If you saw it, I'm sorry but you're not getting those 2 hours back. Yes, for all those lucky to have missed it, it was quite possibly one of the worst movies of all time. Whether it be Eric Bana's acting,the shaky Hulk-less plot, or the terrible quality, there is just something about the movie that makes you very glad it is not one of the reasons The Avengers is going to be made.

For all intents and purposes, The Avengers is starting off from "The Incredible Hulk"- the much better 'sequel' from 2008. Since they are starting from there, so will we. Let's begin, shall we?

The Incredible Hulk picks up where the shitstorm left off. You're expected to know three things going into the movie, at least things that matter, which you can get from the movie's opening:

1) Dr. Bruce Banner is a scientist who was studying Gamma radiation, was caught in an explosion and periodically becomes the Hulk when angry.

2) He is pursued by the Government, more specifically General Thunderbolt Ross, for the violence and destruction left in the Hulk's wake.

3) Bruce Banner is on the run, having left Betty Ross in New York and is currently in hiding in Brazil, trying to find a cure for his "problem".

So the movie begins in Brazil, with Bruce coping with living and controlling his heart rate. After an accident at a bottling plant, the government learns of his position and is en route to capture him. Leading the mission is Emil Blonsky, a soldier who witnesses the Hulk's form and power on the mission and is anxious to have another go at him. The Hulk escapes, leaving Bruce nearly naked and looking for a ride.

Bruce escapes to New York, finds Betty, and is trying to retrieve the data on his Gamma testing (I know I skipped a lot, but seriously this is a brief recap and you should just spend the $5 to get the DVD at Target or something). The Government finds him there too, and a confrontation occurs. Blonsky, now injected with a form of the Super Soldier Serum, faces off against the Hulk and gets Smashed. Yes, every pun intended, as Blonsky collides with a tree and the Hulk escapes again, Betty in arms.

With Betty, Bruce travels to meet Dr Samuel Sterns to cure him of the Hulk problem. While mostly successful, the trio are attacked again by a group led by a healed Blonsky, and Bruce is taken into custody by Ross on-board a helicopter. Meanwhile, Blonsky threatens Sterns, forcing him to infuse the gamma radiation into Blonsky. Mixing with the super soldier serum already in his blood, Blonsky transforms into an Abomination and begins terrorizing the city. Important to note here: in the transformation, Sterns is knocked into a wall, with drops of Bruce's gamma blood dripping into a head wound and causing his head to begin to swell.

The Abomination is very similar to Hulk, and is confused with the Hulk at first sight. Upon hearing of the Hulk attack, a confused Ross looks to Bruce and comes to the agreement of letting Bruce become the Hulk to fight Blonsky. This happens, and after a street battle, several rooftop moments, and a chain fight later, the Hulk stands victorious. Roaring loudly, we see the Hulk leap away. The movie comes to a conclusion with Bruce living in a cabin in the mountains, coming to a controlled change of eye color the Gamma-green. We are left wondering if he changed into the Hulk willingly or not.

After the credits (Or the very next scene if you have the DVD) shows Ross in a bar, drinking in shame, with Tony Stark approaching him. He inquires about putting a team together (The Avengers?) and the movie ends.

So where does all this leave us with The Avengers? Well we know that Ross is involved with Tony Stark (Iron Man) and that the Hulk is left undefeated and left alone, for now. We can expect the Hulk to bring his superior strength to the team, and that his nature of wanting to be left alone will most likely lead to a resistant recruitment at first. The Hulk has regenerative capabilities, immense strength, and stamina that most others can't even wink at. Additionally, his strength opens him up to many other abilities, including very high and long leaps, force blasting claps, and ground pounds that will shake up the ground and create fissures. If you don't believe me, watch him do all three against the Abomination in The Incredible Hulk!

Be sure to look out for our other articles covering Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Thor! Think you know all there is to know? Check out the wrap up with Fury's Big Week!

The Avengers is OUT! Go see it, or read about it!!!